Jimmy Chen

Jimmy Chen, BS ’10 in Symbolic Systems, Founder and CEO of Propel, Winner of President’s Award for the Advancement of the Common Good

“My parents immigrated to the U.S. from China, and while I had a happy childhood, money was always tight. I attended Stanford primarily on a financial need-based scholarship. I found that I personally excelled at facilitating the work that needed to be done by taking project-based CS classes, which led to a PM career after graduation. I never considered myself an entrepreneur when I was at Stanford. I thought that was not really for me – that sounds risky. 

Four years out of college, I didn’t have to worry about financial stability, but I realized how dissatisfied I was with the fact that most tech was built for the wealthy. I founded Propel to apply tech best practices to low-income families’ needs. Over the years our product has evolved, but the core of it is still the same – applying the best practices of the software sector to the needs of low-income families as a way to create a dignified and positive experience as they navigate challenging financial circumstances.”

Jimmy Chen's Learning Path

• CS 210A: Software Project Experience with Corporate Partners
• CS 147: Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction Design
• Symsys 245: Cognition in Interaction Design
• Stanford in Washington